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Marvan Atapattu

Sri Lanka Cricket Practice Session - Coach Marvan Atapattu giving slip catching practice
Sri Lanka Cricket Practice Session - Coach Marvan Atapattu giving slip catching practice Image: Wikimedia Commons. Nazly Ahmed from Colombo, Sri Lanka / CC BY-SA 2.0

Overview

Deshabandu Marvan Samson Atapattu (born 22 November 1970) is a Sri Lankan cricket coach, commentator and former professional cricketer. A reliable, technically sound top-order batsman, he represented the Sri Lankan national cricket team from 1990 to 2007 and later moved into coaching roles with Canada, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Key facts

Full name Marvan Samson Atapattu
Honorific Deshabandu
Date of birth 22 November 1970
Nationality Sri Lankan
Role Top-order batsman
International career 1990–2007
Tests 90
Test batting average 39
Test double centuries 6
One-Day Internationals 268
Major honours as player 1996 Cricket World Cup; 2004 Asia Cup (as captain)

Background

Atapattu emerged as a specialist top-order batsman known for technical correctness and dependability at the crease. His early Test career, however, was difficult: he registered five ducks in his first six innings before establishing himself in the side.

Playing career

Atapattu made his international debut in 1990 and went on to play across both major formats of the international game until 2007.

Test cricket

He played 90 Test matches, finishing with a career batting average of 39. Despite his unpromising start, he scored six double centuries in Tests, a notable mark of his ability to convert starts into very large innings.

One-Day Internationals

Atapattu featured in 268 One-Day Internationals. He was part of the Sri Lankan squad that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup and later captained Sri Lanka to victory in the 2004 Asia Cup.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Atapattu moved into coaching:

  • Batting coach of the Canada national cricket team.
  • Head coach of Singapore.
  • Appointed batting coach of Sri Lanka in 2011.
  • Promoted to head coach of Sri Lanka in April 2014.
  • Resigned from the Sri Lanka head coach role in September 2015.

He has also worked as a cricket commentator.

Timeline

  • 1970: Born on 22 November.
  • 1990: Began international career with Sri Lanka.
  • 1996: Part of the Sri Lankan side that won the Cricket World Cup.
  • 2004: Captained Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup title.
  • 2007: Concluded his international playing career.
  • 2011: Appointed batting coach of Sri Lanka.
  • April 2014: Elevated to head coach of Sri Lanka.
  • September 2015: Resigned as head coach.

Significance

Atapattu is regarded as one of Sri Lanka's leading top-order batsmen of his era, recognised for resilience after a difficult start in Test cricket and for his ability to construct very long innings, reflected in his six Test double centuries. As captain, he led Sri Lanka to a major regional title in 2004, and he subsequently contributed to the development of the game in associate nations such as Canada and Singapore before returning to senior roles with Sri Lanka.

References